NEW DELHI : A new National Executive committee with 80 members have been constituted by Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), the interesting twist is that it does not consist the name of Three-time member of parliament Varun Gandhi and his mother Maneka Gandhi, also a five-term MP, were dropped from the Bharatiya Janata Party’s national executive on Thursday.
Their sacking came on the heels of Varun condemning the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in a series of tweets. The name of former Union minister Birender Singh Chaudhary was missing. Varun Gandhi and Birender Singh both have been critical of the contentious farm laws.
Gandhi has also condemned the incident of Lakhimpur Kheri, in which a Union Minister’s convoy ran over and killed four protesting farmers, he was removed from the BJP National Executive. Gandhi on Thursday called for “accountability for the innocent blood of farmers” as he posted a purported video of the incident. “The video is crystal clear. Protestors cannot be silenced through murder. There has to be accountability for the innocent blood of farmers that has been spilled and justice must be delivered before a message of arrogance and cruelty enters the minds of every farmer,” Gandhi tweeted on Thursday.
Apart from its top brass that includes PM Narendra Modi, defence minister Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah, it has party veterans L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi as its members. Besides 80 regular members, the executive will also have 50 special invitees and 179 permanent invitees. Incidentally, 37 of the 80 members are Union Ministers and a number of ministers from the state are part of the committee and this leaves less space for the ordinary members of the ruling party to become part of the deliberative mechanism of the BJP.
BJP senior leader and state legislator Subramanian Swamy has no place. Meanwhile, Union Minister Aswini Vaishnav has been given a place in the Jyotiraditya Cynthia. Harshavardhan, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Prakash Javadekar continue to be on the National Executive Committee. It is noteworthy that the meeting of the new National Executive Committee members is scheduled to take place on November 7 in Delhi.

He has also been consistently supporting the farmers’ movement, and over the last four days had been demanding that the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government should immediately arrest the accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri farmers’ murder case. His and his mother’s omission for the 80-member national executive released on Thursday appears to be a punitive action for dissent, although the BJP sources brushed off the rejig as a “routine exercise”.
However, dropping critical leaders from the national executive is conspicuous as Varun may have been the only BJP MPs to have vocally expressed his support to the slain farmers ever since Lakhimpur Kheri violence captured national attention. He had also extended his support to the largest mahapanchayat of farmers in Muzaffarnagar on September 5, and has from time to time asked the government to find an immediate resolution to the farmers’ demands.
Most recently, Varun tweeted a video showing a VIP convoy of cars mowing down unarmed protesting farmers unapologetically. The BJP MP called it a “murder” and said that video was enough to “crystal clear” evidence against the culprits. He later demanded that accountability should be fixed for the “innocent blood of farmers”. “Justice must be delivered before a message of arrogance and cruelty enters the minds of every farmer,” Gandhi tweeted.
“Protestors cannot be silenced through murder. There has to be accountability for the innocent blood of farmers that has been spilled and justice must be delivered before a message of arrogance and cruelty enters the minds of every farmer,” he posted on Twitter. Against this backdrop, Varun had also written to the UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath to initiate a CBI probe in the matter and announce a compensation of Rs one crore for the families of dead farmers. The UP government had earlier announced relief of Rs 45 lakh for the families.

It is, however, curious that the BJP government in UP has failed to make a single arrest in the aftermath of farmers’ killings since the violence broke out at Lakhimpur Kheri, even while it showed unusual promptness to drop seemingly dissident party MPs. Despite repeated demands from farmers’ groups, civil society, and opposition parties, the BJP has also chosen to retain the junior minister of home affairs Ajay Mishra in the Union cabinet.
(With Inputs from our National Bureau ).

CHANDIGRAH: After Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned as the chief of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Razia Sultana on Tuesday stepped down as cabinet minister in the state government.
The Punjab cabinet minister said, “I resign in solidarity with Navjot Sidhu.” According to reports, am urgent cabinet meeting is underway.
Merely two days after she took oath of office as a cabinet minister in the Punjab government, Malerkotla MLA Razia Sultana today resigned “in solidarity with Navjot Singh Sidhu”, who stepped down as the state Congress President earlier in the day.
“Sidhu sahab is a man of principles. He is fighting for Punjab and Punjabiyat,” Ms Sultana said, according to an ANI report. In her letter of resignation, she said, “I will continue to work for the party as a worker in the best interest of Punjab.” An urgent cabinet meeting was underway in the state following the resignations, sources said.
Mr Sidhu resigned as Punjab Congress chief, delivering a big shock to the Gandhis, who may have hoped that changing Chief Ministers would help end the turmoil in the state before next year’s state polls.
The cricketer-turned-politician tweeted a resignation letter that hinted at his unhappiness at the ongoing changes to the Punjab cabinet.”The collapse of a man’s character stems from the compromise corner. I can never compromise on Punjab’s future and the agenda for the welfare of Punjab,” he wrote in his letter to Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
He had taken charge of the party in Punjab in July.
His resignation came a little over a week after Charanjit Singh Channi, said to be close him, took oath as Punjab’s new Chief Minister — the first ever Dalit to do so. He replaced veteran Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh. Mr Sidhu, according to sources, was upset about the cabinet changes made by Mr Channi. Though Mr Sidhu was widely seen to act as “Super Chief Minister” when it came to some decisions, he was reportedly ignored in recent appointments seen as controversial.Incidentally, Sultana’s husband Mohammed Mustafa became Sidhu’s chief strategic adviser when the latter took over as Punjab Congress chief in July.
(Bureau Report with Agency Inputs).

CHANDIGRAH: Barely 10 days after Captain Amarinder Singh stepped down as the state chief minister, Navjot Singh Sidhu put down his papers from the post of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, a move that fuels the fire of a bitter political power tussle between the two.

The ongoing crisis in the Punjab Congress unit could prove ominous for the party as it prepares for re-election in the 2022 Assembly polls. Shortly after Sidhu tendered his resignation, former chief minister of Punjab Captain Amarinder Singh took to Twitter and said – “I told you so… He is not a stable man and not fit for the border state of Punjab.”
The hasty exit of Sidhu from the post of Punjab Congress chief just two-and-a-half months into his tenure yet again indicates that his objective was to dethrone Amarinder from the post of CM.
After stepping down, Amarinder Singh said that he had offered his resignation to interim party chief Sonia Gandhi three weeks back, but she had asked him to continue as CM. “If she had just called me and asked me to step down, I would have…As a soldier, I know how to do my task and leave once I am called back,” Singh had said.
Stressing that he has been in politics “for the last 52 years” and been chief minister “for nine-and-a-half years”, Amarinder alleged that Sidhu had a connection with Pakistan and that it would prove costly to the party. “The thing is that this is the third time the party called the MLAs. You have an element of doubt on me… I feel humiliated. As far as my future politics is concerned, there is always an option and I will use that option when time comes. I am in the Congress party. I will talk to my supporters and decide future course of politics,” he had told reporters after submitting his resignation to Governor Banwarilal Purohit on September 18.
Following his resignation, the Congress appointed Charanjit Singh Channi, believed to be a close confidante of Sidhu, as the Chief Minister. Channi, a Scheduled Caste Sikh, took oath on September 20 along with two deputies – one Jat Sikh and another Hindu.
Sidhu is believed to be upset over the recent developments in the state—from the non-inclusion of some Members of Legislative Assembly in the recently-expanded cabinet of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and the appointment of Punjab’s new Advocate General, Amar Preet Singh Deol.

Sidhu’s resignation comes amid the furor over Deol’s appointment. Deol, who has, among his various high-profile cases, represented Punjab’s tainted ex-DGP, Sumedh Saini, was appointed through an official notification on Monday. Chief Minister Charanjit Channi has defended the appointment saying that the controversial case was in the course of Deol’s professional duties.
Sidhu’s resignation has put the Congress in a spot. Sidhu had replaced Sunil Jakhar as Congress in June after much power tussle between him and former chief minister Amarinder Singh. Congress leadership was preparing to project Sidhu as the chief ministerial candidate for 2022 assembly elections before Charanjit Singh Channi was named chief minister after Amarinder Singh resigned in “humiliation” earlier this month.Sidhu’s resignation comes hours after new ministers in Channi’s cabinet were given portfolios.
Punjab is due to hold assembly elections early next year.
(Bureau Reports with Agency Inputs).

CHANDIGRAH : Punjab’s new Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi inducted 15 members in his cabinet today, September 26. These MLAs took oath as ministers at the Punjab Governor House in Chandigarh. Six new faces to his cabinet and dropped some from his predecessor’s team.
The new ministerial team has 15 members in all. The expansion, coming months ahead of the state Assembly polls, has already sparked resentment among those dropped and also over the return of a scandal-tainted MLA dropped earlier.
The ministers taking oath of office today are: Brahm Mohindra, Manpreet Singh Badal, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhbindr Singh Sarkaria, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Aruna Chaudary, Razia Sultana, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Vijay Inder Singla, Randeep Singh Nabha, Raj Kumar Verka, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Pargat Singh, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Gukrirat Singh Kotli.
The expansion, coming months ahead of the state Assembly polls, has already sparked resentment among those dropped and also over the return of a scandal-tainted MLA dropped earlier. Brahm Mohindra, a prominent Hindu, is the senior-most leader of the Punjab Congress. He is older than even former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in terms of association with the party. He was Local Bodies Minister in Mr Singh’s cabinet.

Mr Nabha, Mr Verka, Mr Gilzian, Pargat Singh, Mr Warring, and Mr Kotli are completely new to the job. The induction of Mr Kotli, grandson of former Chief Minister Beant Singh, was opposed by the opposition parties Shiromani Akali Dal and Aam Admi Party. He had faced trial in the 1994 case of abduction and molestation of a French tourist, but was acquitted in 1999.

Rana Gurjeet Singh, on the other hand, was part of former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s team earlier but was dropped in January 2018 following a sand mining scandal involving him and his family. He is among the richest MLAs of Punjab. Hours ahead of the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for today, six MLAs wrote to state Congress chief Navjot Sidhu to protest the “proposed inclusion” of Mr Singh in the new cabinet.

“We all request you to immediately drop Rana Gurjeet Singh from the proposed cabinet expansion and instead include a clean Dalit face in view of the upcoming election,” the MLAs wrote. Besides Chief Minister Channi himself, the new cabinet also has Mr Verka from the Scheduled Caste community. The Congress is evidently focused on next year’s election, one in which the estimated 31 per cent of Dalit votes in the state are expected to play a key role. In fact, when it was his turn to take oath today, Mr Verka specifically referred to the constitution as the one “drafted by BR Ambedkar”.
Resentment, meanwhile, was not restricted to the matter of his inclusion, though. Some of those dropped from the team, too, have expressed their disappointment. “What was my mistake? I want to ask the party high command why my name was not considered for the new cabinet. My exemplary work during Covid was even quoted by an MP in the Canadian Parliament,” said outgoing state Health Minister Balbir Sidhu.
(Bureau Report with Agency Inputs).

CHANDIGRAH: Captain Amarinder Singh resigned as Punjab Chief Minister last week amid a power tussle with Navjot Singh Sidhu leading to the internal crisis in the party.

The Congress made Charanjit Singh Channi the next chief minister of Punjab but everybody wants to know what will be Amarinder Singh’s next move.
Will Amarinder Singh continue to remain in Congress, form his own party, or join the BJP, he discusses it in an exclusive conversation with India TV.
Responding to whether he will be joining the BJP, Captain Amarinder Singh that he will not answer anything now… first he will discuss it with his supporters and only then make a decision.
Though Amarinder Singh neither said yes or no about joining BJP or any other political party, one thing which he made it clear that Navjot Singh Sidhu’s leadership will be dangerous for the state as well for the country. He said the Congress party won’t even win seats in double digits if it decides to fight upcoming elections under his leadership. On the newly-elected Punjab chief minister, Captain Amarinder Singh said that Charanjit Singh Channi is a good minister, an intelligent man. As long as he doesn’t come under the influence of Navjot Singh Sidhu, he will be able to run the government.
“In my 52 years of experience, this is the fist time I am witnessing that there will be a dual or joint leadership of the party. But it doesn’t happen like this, there should only be one leader…” Captain said. Training his guns at Navjot Singh Sidhu, Amarinder Singh said, “four years ago, he was a BJP MP… he is nothing good than a drama master… just cracks jokes.”
Renewing his attack on Congress Punjab party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, former CM Captain Amarinder Singh said that the cricketer-turned-politician is ‘dangerous for the country’. In an exclusive interview with India TV, Singh also hit out at party top leadership’s advisors namely Randeep Singh Surjewala and KC Venugopal for ill-advising Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
‘Sidhu dangerous for country’
Slamming party’s state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, Amarinder Singh said he is dangerous for the country and the party will not win even 10 seats under his leadership in the upcoming assembly elections. Speaking on the recent crisis in the Punjab Congress, Captain Amarinder Singh said, “I am not angry… what should I be angry about… the decision has been taken by the party high command… I met them (high command) 3 weeks ago, informed that Sidhu is pulling to one end, I am pulling to the other… party will break like this… then they told me you continue as CM…”‘Punjab a sensitive state, you need to work with Centre’
The former Chief Minister said that Punjab is a sensitive state, shares border with Pakistan. It is important for the state government leadership to work with the Central government because national security is the priority. I have to meet PM Modi, Amit Shah because it’s a matter of national security… but you can’t let this state to run in the hands of someone who is close to Pakistan, Singh said.

Mentioning that Sidhu’s leadership will be dangerous for the state, Amarinder Singh said that one has to work with the Centre, but how will Sidhu be able to do it… his relationship with the BJP is bad… they (BJP) leaders don’t even want to see his face… how will be run the state.
‘Possible that high command’s advisors might have asked them to change CM’ He disclosed that he had offered his resignation to party President Sonia Gandhi three weeks earlier but she had asked him to continue. “If she had just called me and asked me to step down, I would have,” he said, adding that “as a soldier, I know how to do my task and leave once I am called back”.

He said he had even told Sonia Gandhi that he was ready to hang his boots and allow someone else to take over as the Chief Minister after leading the Congress to another sweeping win in Punjab. “But that did not happen, so I will fight,” he asserted. “I would not have taken MLAs on a flight to Goa or some place. That is not how I operate. I don’t do gimmicks, and the Gandhi siblings know that is not my way,” he said, adding: “Priyanka and Rahul (Gandhi) are like my children… this should not have ended like this. I am hurt.”

“It may be possible that the high command advisors have advised them to change the CM, so they changed it. I have good relations with Rahul and Priyanka… every second day I connect with them over facetime… they never gave me any indication of this,” Amarinder Singh said. “The party can bring whosoever they want… just don’t humiliate me like this… I’m upset the way the entire crisis has been handled,” Captain added.

‘Channi is intelligent, will work well if didn’t come under Sidhu’s influence’ Captain Amarinder Singh said that Charanjit Singh Channi is a good minister, an intelligent man. As long as he doesn’t come under the influence of Navjot Singh Sidhu, he will be able to run the government. “In my 52 years of experience, this is the fist time I am witnessing that there will be a dual or joint leadership of the party. But it doesn’t happen like this, there should only be one leader…” Captain said.
Training his guns at Navjot Singh Sidhu, Amarinder Singh said, “four years ago, he was a BJP MP… he is nothing good than a drama master… just cracks jokes. “‘Vote will be divided now’ Speaking on the current political situation in the state post-party crisis, Amarinder Singh said that the vote will get divided now… between farm unions… Akali Dal… AAP… BJP, others”
Congress veteran Amarinder Singh resigned on Saturday as chief minister of Punjab, declaring that he feels “humiliated” and said he won’t accept state Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu as the next CM or the party face in the Assembly polls. The development has come amid a power tussle that polarised the ruling party in the state headed for elections in just about four months.
(Bureau Report with India TV Agency Inputs).

GUWAHATI: As many as two persons were killed and several were left injured including police personnel, as clashes broke out on Thursday between the police and local people in Dholpur Gorukhuti area of Assam’s Darrang district.  Violence ensued after a team of security personnel went to the area to evict illegal encroachers, as per reports by ANI.
The Superintendent of Police Darrang, Sushanta Biswa Sarma said, “They (people at the spot) pelted stones & attacked Police personnel. 9 Policeman injured, I’m inquiring about the video that’s doing rounds on social media.” Two civilians were killed and nine policemen injured today when an anti-encroachment drive in Assam’s Darrang district blew up into a brutal clash between the police and people protesting eviction. On camera, policemen in riot gear and armed with guns and sticks chased and attacked protesters and even firing shots.

In horrifying visuals, a government cameraman filming the clash attacked a protester who had earlier followed him with a stick. The protester, beaten by policemen, lay motionless as the cameraman kept attacking him until he was restrained. The police are now searching for the cameraman.

The state government has ordered a probe – to be headed by a retired High Court judge – into today’s violence.   Some 800 families were evicted in the drive against encroachments at Dholpur on Monday. The state wants to repossess 4,500 bighas of government land for an agricultural project.  The police said local people attacked them with stones today and they had to use force.

“Nine of our policemen were injured. Two civilians were also injured. They have been shifted to hospital. Now things are normal,” Superintendent of Police Sushanta Biswa Sarma said. Sarma, who was at the site of the clash, added, “We couldn’t complete the eviction because of the situation. We will assess later. We are returning as of now.” But when asked about the footage of the local being shot and then beaten, he said “The area is big. I was on another side. I will find out and assess the situation.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, reacting to the police brutality, targeted the state’s BJP government and tweeted, “Assam is on state-sponsored fire”.”I stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the state – no children of India deserve this,” he added. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had tweeted after the eviction drive on Monday, “I am happy and compliment district administration of Darrang and Assam Police for having cleared about 4500 bigha, by evicting 800 households.”
Reports say the government decided in June to repossess the land for a farming project and had served notices to alleged encroachers. The Chief Minister had also visited the area. In a tweet during the visit, he said, he was there to “inspect the riverine areas that were encroached by illegal settlers near Dholpur Shiva Mandir. 120 Bighas land of the temple under encroachment of illegal occupants in the area have been freed by @assampolice and district administration. Such squatters would be evicted from all parts of Assam to protect our land and the Assamese identity from encroachers and intruders.”
Mr Sarma also wrote: “We also offer prayers at Shiva temple to seek lord Shiva blessings. A short temple management and local people to set up a Manikut, builder guest house and boundary wall. All steps should be taken to turn temple into a tourist attraction.”
(Bureau Report with Agency Inputs ).

CHANDIGRAGH/ NEW DELHI: New Chief Minister of Punjab, Charanjit Channi on Monday targeted former CM Captain Amarinder Singh and the Opposition Aam Aadmi Party in his first press conference after the oath taking ceremony. |
Channi targeted Amarinder Singh over the sand mafia issue and said that the sand mafia and people associated with them should stay away from him, as he is not ready to meet them. Punjab Congress chief Navjot Sidhu has also been targeting the Captain for his complicity with the sand mafia. Channi said a big decision will be taken in the cabinet meeting today.

Targeting Aam Aadmi Party, Channi said that Punjab will now have a common man’s government. He said that the water connection of any poor man of Punjab who does not pay his drinking water bill will not be cut. He said that the bills of the last five years of the poor who did not pay their water bills till August would be waived. He announced that sewerage and water bills for 200 square yard houses will not be charged in cities.

After Channi took charge as Punjab CM, the principal secretary and special principal secretary to ex-CM Captain Amarinder were replaced by Hussan Lal, Principal Secretary, Investment Promotion and Rahul Tiwari, Secretary of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, respectively.
Getting emotional at the press conference, Channi said that he comes from a poor family that did not have a roof over their head. He said, ‘Today a man has got a chance to become the chief minister, so this poor man is standing with every common man’.

Punjab CM Channi said during his press conference on Monday, “The party is supreme, not the CM and other ministers. We will move as per Congress ideology and work for the integrity of the country.” He also said he will visit all parts of Punjab and instruct bureaucrats to meet the people. “The poor will have access to the offices and secretariat,” he stated.
He said that the 18-point agenda given by the party high command would be fulfilled soon. Bargadi sacrilege case will be resolved soon. There will be no police excess on anyone, everyone will get justice, the guilty will be in lock-up, he added. CM Channi called upon the striking employees to return to work and said that they should be given some time so that all the problems of the employees can be resolved. Channi, who claimed to stand with the farmers in protest against the three agriculture laws of the Centre, said that no harm will be allowed to the agriculture of Punjab, adding, “For this I am ready to slit my throat.”
Channi said that the 18-point agenda given by the party high command would be fulfilled soon. Bargadi sacrilege case will be resolved soon. There will be no police excess on anyone, everyone will get justice, the guilty will be in lock-up, he added.

CM Channi called upon the striking employees to return to work and said that they should be given some time so that all the problems of the employees can be resolved. Channi, who claimed to stand with the farmers in protest against the three agriculture laws of the Centre, said that no harm will be allowed to the agriculture of Punjab, adding, “For this I am ready to slit my throat.”

Meanwhile,  the National Commission for Women (NCW) demanded the resignation of Charanjit Singh Channi, who on Monday took oath as the 16th chief minister of Punjab, over allegations of sexual harassment against him. Calling Channi’s appointment to be “shameful”, Sharma said the new chief minister needs to be held “accountable and should resign from the post.” “We do not want another woman to go through the same experience and endure the same harassment that the IAS officer would have faced,” the NCW chief Rekha Sharma added.

The IAS officer accused Channi of sending inappropriate texts to her, but no formal complaint was registered and the issue was resolved following intervention by the former chief minister of Punjab Captain Amarinder Singh. However, the case was reopened in June this year after Punjab Women Commission chairperson Manisha Gulati sought a reply from the Punjab government. This move became an issue within the state Congress circles with ministers supporting Channi calling it a ‘witch hunt’ by the Captain camp.
(With Bureau Report)

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s father Nand Kumar Baghel was arrested today and has been sent to 15-day judicial custody by a court in Raipur for allegedly making derogatory remarks against the Brahmin community.

His lawyer said he did not request bail and would appear before a court on September 21. He has been arrested in Raipur. After the remarks made against the Brahmin society, an FIR was registered against him.
“Nobody is above the law before my government, even if he is the Chief Minister’s 86-year-old father. After his father was charged last week, the Chief Minister had stressed that he would get no special treatment.
As CM my responsibility is to maintain harmony among different communities. If he made a remark against a community, I am sorry. Legal action will be taken,” Bhupesh Baghel had told reporters on Sunday.
The complaint was filed by the Brahmin community against him at DD Nagar Police Station in Raipur. In the complaint, the community alleged that Nand Kumar Baghel described Brahmins as “outsiders (foreigners) who should either reform or get ready to go to Volga from Ganga”.

“Everyone knows about my ideological differences with my father. Our political thoughts and beliefs are different. I respect him as his son, but as Chief Minister, I cannot forgive him for such mistakes which disturb public order.” Mr Baghel also underlined that the Chhattisgarh government “respects every religion, caste and community and their sentiment”. He emphasized his point on Twitter.

During a recent visit to Uttar Pradesh, Mr Baghel’s father, who heads a group for voter awareness and is a prominent OBC voice, had controversially called for a “boycott” of Brahmins and, describing them as foreigners, had urged people not to let them into their villages. “Brahmins will be sent from the river Ganga to Volga. They are foreigners. They consider us untouchables and are snatching all our rights. I will urge villagers to not let Brahmins enter their village,” Nand Kumar Baghel had said. He is known for his anti-upper caste views and his book on the theme was banned in 2000 by the Congress government at the time.
As the video of the comments emerged, an FIR was registered in Raipur on the complaint of the Sarv Brahmin Samaj against Baghel senior on Saturday night. The charges on the complaint included “promoting enmity between groups”. Chhattisgarh’s opposition BJP pressed the Chief Minister to act, suggesting “VIP treatment”. Sources say his arrest in Raipur preempts any trouble for Mr Baghel in poll-bound UP, where the community had urged Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to take action.
For Mr Baghel, the family drama comes days after he apparently triumphed over his in-house rival TK Singh Deo, who had laid claim to his job saying he had been assured by the Congress leadership of rotational Chief Minister ship. Mr Baghel’s half-term was done, Mr Singh Deo had asserted, and it was his turn. The feud threatened to snowball for the Congress as both leaders rushed to Delhi for meetings.
(With Media Reports).

KABUL: “We have this right, being Muslims, to raise our voice for Muslims in Kashmir, India, and any other country,” Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen said in an interview, reports the NDTV citing BBC Urdu.
“We will raise our voice and say that Muslims are your own people, your own citizens. They are entitled to equal rights under your laws,” he added. However, it added that the group does not have the policy to raise arms against any country.

Shaheen’s remarks are in contrast with the group’s earlier statements on Kashmir. Days after taking control of Kabul, the Taliban had said Kashmir is a “bilateral and an internal matter”.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday said India’s aim is to ensure Afghanistan’s land is not used for terror activity of any kind.Recently, a leader of Pakistan’s ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has said that the Taliban would help the country in “liberating” Kashmir from India.Speaking at a television news debate, leader Neelam Irshad Sheikh said, “Taliban have said that they are with us and they will help us in [liberating] Kashmir.”

Amid India’s concern that Afghanistan territory might be used for anti-India activity under the Taliban regime, the terror group has said that it has the right to raise its voice for Muslims anywhere including in Kashmir. However, it added that the group does not have the policy to raise arms against any country.
In an interview with BBC Urdu, Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen said: “We have this right, being Muslims, to raise our voice for Muslims in Kashmir, India, and any other country. “”We will raise our voice and say that Muslims are your own people, your own citizens. They are entitled to equal rights under your laws,” he added, according to Geo News.

Shaheen’s remarks are in contrast with the group’s earlier statements on Kashmir. Days after taking control of Kabul, the Taliban had said Kashmir is a “bilateral and an internal matter”. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday said India’s aim is to ensure Afghanistan’s land is not used for terror activity of any kind.

In the first formal and publicly acknowledged contact, Indian Ambassador to Qatar Deepak Mittal met senior Taliban leader Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai on Tuesday and conveyed India’s concerns that Afghanistan’s soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism. The MEA said the discussions also focused on the safety, security and early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan and the travel of Afghan nationals, especially members of minority communities to India.
India is concerned that Afghanistan may become the epicentre of Islamic terrorism, a first-of-its-kind that has a state. In the past, ISIS and Al Qaeda also tried to establish a state but failed. There are fears that Sunni and Wahabi terrorist groups will turn the Taliban into their haven. Amid growing concerns over the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, India is expected to increased security vigil in the region.
“There will be increased security vigil in Kashmir but things are in control and Pakistan based groups in Afghanistan have little capacity to use the situation,” government sources told ANI last month. Government sources also said that Pakistan spy agency ISI, which shares good relations with Taliban leadership, will try to influence the
Taliban but it will not be able to have an effect since the Taliban this time is in a position of strength and only weak Taliban can be influenced by ISI. Recently, a leader of Pakistan’s ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has said that the Taliban would help the country in ‘liberating’ Kashmir from India. Speaking at a television news debate,leader Neelam Irshad Sheikh said, “Taliban have said that they are with us and they will help us in [liberating] Kashmir.”
(With Agencies Inputs).

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